Online Financial Reality Expo

Student holding up a blue plastic piggy bank

Everything you need to know about financial wellness at Mac

November 3, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (drop-in)

Financial support. Money coaching. Financial skills development and goal setting.

These are just some of the financial services available to you at McMaster. Come to the Online Financial Reality Expo, part of Financial Literacy Month, to learn how campus and community financial groups can help you make your financial dreams a reality. Through one-on-one chats, you’ll get to ask questions about money management, financial wellness, dealing with financial stress, financial support at McMaster, investing and anything else related to money.

Bonus: Attend the expo for a chance to win a Mac’s Money Centre “Dream BIG” hoodie!

Meet the money experts:

Mac’s Money Centre
Office of the Registrar, Aid & Awards
PennyDrops
The Sassy Investor
Student Wellness Centre
Certified financial planners
And more

This event is sponsored by the McMaster Okanagan Committee.

"Money management is way more about your desires and emotions than juggling numbers. It's about being able to accomplish your goals and spend on things that bring your life meaning and fulfillment. Remember, money is a only a tool in your journey to make your life what you want it to be."

Terry Bennett, Money Coach, Mac's Money Centre

Visit Mac's Money Centre

November is Financial Literacy Month

Let’s talk about money this November.

Check out these activities to better understand your finances and learn how to effectively manage your money. Your future self will thank you.

About the Investing with Michelle Hung series

Did you know that you can start building your investments now? Well, you can — take it from Michelle Hung, AKA the Sassy Investor. Attend this webinar series to learn investment basics, tips and strategies so you can build a solid investment portfolio that works for you. Choose one webinar or attend them all — it’s up to you!

Catch up on the whole series (and all the investing insight) by viewing the recorded sessions. Sessions include:

Investment Strategies
Investing Basics: From Education to Execution
Fundamentals of a Solid Investment Portfolio
Types of Accounts
All About Robo-Advisors

View all the recordings

Meet the expert

Michelle worked for seven years in investment banking and venture capital. Her experience in advising companies in capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and other financial advisory services offered her a rich understanding of capital markets and how it all ties in with the average investor.

In 2014, she received her chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation, a globally recognized investment management credential. She is a contributing writer for Canadian Money Saver Magazine, has done webinars for Questrade and has provided fun videos for Cleo (budgeting app) on TikTok. To date, she’s taught people how to invest (over $2 million total!) and save on average over $9,000 per year.

Learn more about the Sassy Investor and her upcoming webinars on our Instagram (@MacSSC). Check out the Money Workshops highlight for Michelle’s takeover.

Money, You and COVID-19 (Instagram Live)

November 12, 11:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. (@MacSSC)

Join us on Instagram Live (@MacSSC) for a candid conversation to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted your finances over the past eight months. What have been some of the challenges? What have we learned about our relationship with money? Our guest host, Rubina Ahmed-Haq, personal finance expert and news personality, will answer questions and help us discover how we can improve our relationship with money.

About the host, Rubina Ahmed-Haq:

Rubina is a journalist and personal finance expert. She regularly appears on TV and radio across Canada, she writes regular columns for several magazines and she has her own website — Always Save Money.

Rubina began her career as a broadcast journalist in 1999.

Follow her on Twitter @alwayssavemoney.

Finding Ways to Save

October 29, 1:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.

Saving is a habit and skill that you need to develop. It’s the most critical part of any lasting financial plan to ensure your future economic well-being. Why should you save? How can you save? Let’s examine these issues, learn some smart tips and start on your path to building your savings.

Coping with Financial Stress

November 2, 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.

For many people, the pandemic has made it harder to find work. How are you coping? Attend this session to get tips and ideas on how to deal with financial stress and learn creative ways to generate some extra funds. The Student Wellness Centre’s Nathan Cooper (psychologist, Faculty of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience) and Terry Bennett (money coach, Mac’s Money Centre) will be there to share their expertise.

How to Deal with Debt

November 5, 3:30 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.

Debt can cause a great deal of stress. However, there are strategies and programs that you can use to lessen the burden. Don’t let the debt overwhelm you and contribute to feeling hopeless. Let’s talk about it and explore all the ways you can deal with debt.

How to Build a Strong Credit Score

November 9, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Credit has become an essential part of our financial system, and we all need to understand how it works. At this event, we’ll let you in on all the secrets to success in the credit world. You’ll learn about the various types of credit and how using those effectively can build a great credit score.

How to Use Credit Cards Effectively

November 23, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Credit cards can be a blessing and a curse, depending on how you use them. Find out how they work, how they can improve your credit rating and learn ways to avoid debt and bad spending habits.

These events are sponsored by the McMaster Okanagan Committee.

Mac’s Money Show

Meet the money experts at Mac’s Money Centre and learn from financial professionals.

Watch the full series

Mac’s Money Centre webinar recordings

Where Does All My Money Go?

Peer videos

What do financial wellness and literacy mean to you? We asked McMaster students money questions to get the conversation going.

Articles

Mac’s Money Centre’s been working hard to promote financial literacy and wellness for years. Check out these articles to catch up on previous events and initiatives.